What happened: The Seattle Storm have extended a Core qualifying offer to center Ezi Magbegor, according to @WNBADaily. The Core designation is the WNBA's franchise-tag mechanism, which keeps a player from reaching unrestricted free agency by tendering a top-of-scale qualifying offer.

Why it matters: Coring Magbegor signals Seattle's intent to retain a frontcourt anchor it views as a long-term building block rather than risk losing her on the open market. The move also locks up a rotation cornerstone for a Storm side that has struggled of late, giving the front office roster certainty heading into the season.

What to watch: Watch whether Magbegor accepts the one-year Core tender or leverages it toward negotiations on a longer-term extension with Seattle.